Habitat
Freshwater lakes, swamps, large slow-flowing rivers, and seasonal pools. Also reservoirs, seasonally flooded land and flood-plains near river mouths, alkaline and saline lakes and lagoons, and sometimes coastal bays and estuaries.
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo [The Democratic Republic of the] (B), Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar (E), Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia (B), Senegal (B), Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland (B), Tanzania [United Republic of], Uganda, Yemen (B) (NB), Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Vagrant to Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Poland.
Subtropical and tropical Africa from Senegal and Ethiopia to Natal (South Africa) and Botswana; also Madagascar (formerly) and recently south-western Arabia.
 
Population
Estimated population is 50,000 - 100,000 (2010).
Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) [XC862719]
by id from Kataba1 (near Kassel), Bignona, R\u00e9gion de Ziguinchor, Senegal (call)
Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens) [XC737594]
by Alain Malengreau from Kalabo, Western Province, Zambia (call)
Nest
Composed of sticks, located in trees, reeds or low bushes along waterfronts, about 10 - 50 m above the ground or on the ground on sandy islands and in mangroves. In colonies.